The Audacity to Hope
by Miss-Li-ding
Summary: A son of Athena realises that hope is a foolish thing, but despite this, it can withstand the strongest blows. Oneshot.


**The Audacity to Hope**

A Percy Jackson and the Olympians fanfiction by Miss-Li-Ding

DISCLAIMER: I don't own PJO, because I'm pretty sure Riordan isn't female.

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><p>He hated the new kids.<p>

They reminded him too much of himself when he first started camp. Hopeful, expectant… bratty.

He would have bet a drachma that they, like him at first, were eagerly waiting to be claimed…

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><p>An owl appeared above the boy's head. He craned his head up and looked at it. Athena, huh? He thought. Good. It would have been so embarrassing if he was a child of those useless Aphrodite children. He turned around and saw Chiron kneel, followed by everyone else in the vicinity. Pride swelled in his heart, and he imagined that he was a mighty hero, being worshipped by his adoring troops after a great victory- with the help of his mother and patron, Athena…Chiron cleared his throat and proclaimed, " Hail…"<p>

He was so excited after he was claimed. Maybe his mother would visit, and maybe he'd get a weapon or a gift, like Annabeth's invisibility cap (oh, how he admired his older sister and her cap), a sword that turned into a pencil, or perhaps (since Athena surely knew he had an affinity for archery) a bow and quiver that turned into a charm which he'd wear on his CHB necklace…and when monsters came and outnumbered him, 100 to 1, he would proudly stand in front of them and pull out his necklace. The monsters would scoff. "What," they'd say, "can a flimsy necklace do?"

Then he'd…do something (he didn't know exactly how his charm would work; after all, it wasn't good imagining how his gift worked when he hadn't got it yet) (but that didn't stop him from imagining everything else) and his bow and arrows would appear. "Eat bronze, poop-piles!" he'd yell, and shoot his arrows. His mother Athena would be so impressed with his courage and pleased by the use of her gift, that she would guide his arrows so each one felled a monster with a single hit. Afterwards, he'd sacrifice all his food to his mother, as, with his wisdom, he knew that Athena had been guiding him. Then she'd appear and grant him another gift, maybe a magical wristwatch that turned into a shield...

It took many months for him to even imagine the possibility that he would get nothing.

The first time Athena visited, he was over the moon. His hope had faded over the years but this visit rekindled them all. It was like (and although he usually refrains from using clichés) there was some light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe he would _finally_ get the gift he deserved… Despite having put away his imaginations (twelve-year olds are too old to imagine things), they dig themselves out and take root in his mind, playing 24/7.

The day the visit comes, he memorises the time that Athena will get to Camp Half-Blood- ten minutes after the end of archery; in other words, not enough time to clean up. He tidies up his bed in the morning and places everything away so neatly that you'd think he'd paid a professional to do it. "Hurry up…" his siblings moan, but he ignores them.

The morning passes by like a dream. When it is time for archery, he hurries to the instructor- a son of Apollo. "Hey, man, can you let me out of archery early today?"

The son of Apollo shakes his head. "Sorry. I know you're good at archery, but…"

"I'll pay you. Five drachmas." he says.

"You can't-"

"Ten."

Silence. "…Fine. Give it to me now, though."

He sighs and quickly counts out ten golden coins into the Apollo kid's hand before selecting his bow from the armoury.

His shots are all over the show and the moment can't come soon enough when the Apollo kid nods briefly at him and he dashes away to his cabin.

He takes a longer-than-average shower, scrubbing all remains of the day's grit and dirt and cleaning every inch of his body. He even washes his hair. After he dries it, he considers slicking back the blonde mess with hair gel, but decides against it. _Don't want to give the impression that I'm trying too hard_… he thinks.

Having made this decision, he takes ten minutes choosing which pair of shorts to wear.

He is on his bed, reading a book, when he sees a golden flash outside. He grins, drops his book on his bed, then, realising it's out of place, neatly shelves it before dashing to the door.

_Ohmygodsohmygodsohmygods_… there is not enough room in his head to think anything else as he opens the door. His legs are wobbly from anticipation and excitement as he steps outside and kneels in front of his mother. "Lady Athena." He is barely able to stop his voice from shaking.

"Son." Her voice is smooth and elegant. "Do stand up." Are his ears deceiving him, or is there a hint of laughter in her voice? "I am not going to smite you if you look at me."

He stands and looks at her. She looks just as he expected. Tall, blonde, stormy grey eyes, a commanding aura… "M-mother. W-welcome. C-can I get you something to drink?"

"No thank you son, I have just eaten." A pause. "How are you finding camp?"

He says something, he doesn't know what. _Oh my gods mother is talking to me she's talking to me-_

Athena smiles at him. "I see. Well, do you know where Annabeth is, dear? I need to discuss some points with her."

He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I don't know. Perhaps you should go and ask Chiron?" he says, attempting to be helpful.

"I doubt Chiron knows where she is."

His face falls.

"But I suppose that I should let him know of my arrival." She strides towards the Big House.

He follows her, smirking inwardly at the sweaty, dishevelled siblings of his. _I saw her before you. And you. And you too!_ But he can't help feeling a little stab of _something_- envy? hurt?- when she speaks to the others the same as she did him.

Chiron steps out onto the porch of the Big House. "What is this-" he starts, then catches sight of Athena. "Lady Athena. I am honoured by your presence." He kneels, but Athena gestures for him to stand. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, not much." She waves her hand and dismisses them, all the while talking to Chiron.

Still somewhat buoyed on his expectations of a gift, it takes him some time (close to dinner time, to be exact) to realise that she was here only for Annabeth. His suspicions are confirmed when, from his cabin window by his desk, he sees Athena and Annabeth, the latter holding a blueprint loosely by her side, deep in conversation.

He supposed that he wasn't too badly off… after all, the Hermes cabin rarely sees their father. But he still can't help feeling a little disappointed that he didn't get anything. At all.

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><p>A shout of delight sounds somewhere in the distance, and the son of Athena stirs out of his memories. He peers out the window from his desk to see a tall, regal goddess surrounded by her blonde children.<p>

_Mother._

He half- gets up from his desk, and sits back down again. After a second of deliberation, against his better judgement, he stands and leaves his cabin.

The vibrations of his footsteps make the book on his bed tremble a little.

_Maybe...maybe this time._

_Maybe not._

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><p>AN: I don't even know what this is... blargh. Please ignore my tenses, they're pretty horrible.<p>

Thanks for reading! Please remember to review/flame me/give me warm fuzzies c:


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